School Closure

Dear Parents

Due to the conditions of the roads around Pontyclun, I have decided to close the school. Please can you make arrangements to pick up your child/children as soon as possible.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

H Roberts
Headteacher

For those of you that make it school is open today, Friday December 17th for pupils.
Kind regards,
Mr Roberts.

Dear Parents

Due to the weather conditions I am waiting to see how many staff can make it in to school before I make a decision. I will keep you updated as soon as I can.

Thank you for your continuing support.

H Roberts
Headteacher

Christmas At Pontyclun Primary School

Junior Christmas Pantomime



Infant Christmas Concert



Country Dancing at Peterson's Christmas Fayre.

Rugby Club

Dear Parents

Once again, due to a frozen pitch and hazardous conditions, Rugby club is cancelled today.

H Roberts
Headteacher

Football Club

Football After School Club

Dear Parents

Due to the icy conditions of the yard, we have had to cancel tonight's football club.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

Christmas Concert - Extra Performance

03 December 2010


Dear Parents

Due to an exceptionally high demand for Christmas concert tickets with the Infants, we will be adding an additional day of Monday, 6th December starting at approximately 1.30 p.m.

These tickets will be available for any families who have not yet managed to secure any tickets. Tickets for this performance will be available from the office on Friday 3rd December.

I apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause but we had hoped that the Grandparents’ concert would alleviate the high demand for tickets. As it stands at the moment 750 tickets have been allocated and the additional performance will mean 1000 tickets will have been made available for the Infants.

Thank for your understanding and patience in this matter.

We will, of course, review our ticket allocation system for next year.

Yours sincerely



H Roberts
Headteacher

Rugby Club

30.11.10

Dear Parents

Due to a frozen pitch, there will be no rugby practice this afternoon.

H Roberts
Headteacher

After School Football Club

29.11.10

Dear Parents

I am writing to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, there will not be football club after school today. It shall resume as normal next week.

Thank you
H Roberts
Headteach

Newsletter 26.11.10

26 November 2010

Dear Parents

Children in Need
A fantastic response from you all has meant that the school raised £1,135.00 for Children in Need. This is an amazing achievement especially in the present climate. Thank you very much for your generosity. A big well done must go to Year 6 pupils for organising such an enjoyable afternoon, they should be very proud of their efforts.

Parking - Palalwyf Avenue
I have recently had a lengthy conversation with the Athletics Club in an attempt to try and resolve the car park issue. A number of ideas have been discussed which the Chair has kindly agreed to take to the Committee. Hopefully, we will be able to work with the Athletics Club and reach some form of compromise in the near future. We will inform parents as soon as decision a has been made.

Mr & Mrs Burton-Williams
Thank you to Mr & Mrs Burton-Williams for their kind donation of a surface top hob and oven which has gone to Year 1. I am sure that the pupils in Year 1 will have a lovely time cooking some wonderful recipes.

Concerts
Tickets for Concerts will be available from Tuesday 30th November at the school office. Tickets will be limited to 4 per family in the first instance, and spare tickets will be released closer to the performances. Tickets cost £2 each.

This year, an additional Infant concert for Grandparents only will take place on Friday 10 December starting at approximately 1.30 p.m. in the main hall. This will be a ticket event, but we will not be charging Grandparents for this concert. Four tickets per family are available on a first come, first serve basis. (We have a maximum of 250 seats per performance.)

Dates of the Concerts are below – all performances will start at approximately 1.30 p.m.
8 December Infant Christmas Concert
9 December Infant Christmas Concert
All our children in the Infant Department will be in the finale of our concerts, so therefore they will need to stay for the whole duration.

14 December Junior Christmas Concert
15 December Junior Christmas Concert

School Meals
With the end of term quickly approaching, please could I remind parents that all meals are to be paid for in advance on a Monday morning. It is school procedure to report any arrears at the end of the half term to our auditing team at the Education Office.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

Country Dancing - After School Club

Dear Parents

I am writing to inform you that there will be no Country Dancing Club tomorrow, 25th November, but it will resume as normal the following week.

Thank you

H Roberts
Headteacher

Children In Need 2010

Children In Need 2010

Last Friday was Children In Need Day, as usual year 6 organised a fantastic afternoon to raise money for an extremely worthwhile cause. Thank you year 6. Click on the image above for more pictures of the fantastic day. The year 6 blog also has some great images. http://pontyclunpri6.blogspot.com/2010/11/today-was-children-in-need-day.html#comments

Rugby Tournament

Dear Parents

Due to the weather conditions, the rugby tournament has been cancelled. Apologies to parents who may have re-arranged their day to attend but the heavy rainfall and water logged pitch has defeated us!

H Roberts
Headteacher

Newsletter

15 November 2010


Dear Parents

Children in Need
Children in Need is this Friday 19th November. In support of this event, children may come to school in non-uniform, pyjamas or spots, if they so wish. A contribution would be appreciated. Year 6 will also be setting up a variety of stalls and activities that children can take part in, this will be open to pupils from Year 1 upwards. Last time we collected for Children in Need we raised a staggering £415.10! Let’s see if we can beat last year’s figure.

Inset Day
Just to remind parents that there is an Inset day on Monday 22nd November so therefore school will be closed to pupils on this day.

Parent Behaviour
May I please remind parents that verbally aggressive, intimidating or insulting language directed at staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Should it transpire that a parent is guilty of such behaviour, the school is within its right to ban the parent from the school grounds. If an issue or concern has arisen please discuss it sensibly with the Class Teacher or alternatively see myself or Miss Harwood.

Palalwyf Avenue
I have received a number of complaints from the residents of Palalwyf Avenue regarding parking before and after school and the attitude of what appears to be some of our parents. I appreciate that the parking is not easy and that at times can be stressful, but I would urge parents to please be respectful of the residents when dropping off or picking up pupils.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.


H Roberts
Headteacher

Extra Curricular Activities

Dear Parents

Due to Parent Evenings taking place this week (Tuesday & Wednesday) I am writing to inform you that there will be no rugby, games or netball clubs on those days.

Thank you

H Roberts
Headteacher

WiseKids & Parent Evenings

Dear Parents 12.10.10


WiseKids
Apologies for the error on last week’s Newsletter. The “WiseKids” workshop will be held on Monday 8th November 2010 from 6 – 7.30 p.m. in the school main hall. We have had a number of positive responses already.

If you wish to attend this evening please do send your slip to school as soon as possible. If we have spaces available, we will make this evening available to other schools in the locality.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Progress Report
You are invited to make an appointment in order to discuss your child/children’s progress with their teachers on either Tuesday 19th October or Wednesday 20th October.

Could you please indicate your preferred times in the boxes below. First preference should be indicated with a 1, second with a 2 etc.

The duration of each visit will be 10 minutes. If, due to a change of circumstances you are unable to keep your appointment would you please advise the school to enable the staff to reschedule their lessons.

Please complete and return the slip below by Friday 15th October.

Yours sincerely
H RobertsHeadteacher



Child’s Name ______________________________________________

I wish to make an appointment to see …………………..…class …………..…. To discuss my child’s progress.

Signed ………………………………………………

Date of appointment …………………………………………… (please complete)


12 noon – 12.30 p.m. 3.30 – 4.30 p.m. 4.30 – 5.30 p.m.

We will make every effort to meet with your preferred choice

Newsletter

08 October 2010

Dear Parents

Car Park
May I please remind you that the staff carparks are not for the use by parents for dropping off and picking up children. Would the lady in the black Landrover please desist from using the carpark by the Junior building. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Harvest
Thank you for your kind donations of small change and coins – we raised the staggering amount of £301.10 plus 1 yen, 2 parking tokens to Universal Studios, 2 Folly Farm ride tokens, 2.5 euros and 1 Barbados dollar!

WiseKids
We have organised for “WiseKids” to provide a parents workshop on safe internet use.
WISE KIDS: Promoting Innovative, Positive and Safe Internet Use. This is a really useful and important workshop to ensure your child is being safe and using the internet properly. If you wish to come along please fill in the form below so we can have an idea of numbers. http://www.wisekids.org.uk

Dinner money
Please would parents ensure dinner monies are paid on a Monday and that the correct amount is sent in.

Parents evenings
A reminder that we will be having parents evenings on the 19th and 20th October.
H Roberts
Head Teacher




Child’s Name _________________________________ Class _______________________

*I would like to attend a” WiseKids" workshop. *Please delete as appropriate

Signed _______________________________________________________

Policy on Off-Site Visits

Policy on Off-Site Visits
1 Introduction
1.1 Off-site visits are activities arranged by or on behalf of the school, and which take place outside the school grounds. The governors and teaching staff believe that off-site activities can supplement and enrich the curriculum of the school by providing experiences that would otherwise be impossible. All off-site activities must serve an educational purpose, enhancing and enriching our children's learning experiences.
1.2 In this policy, we seek to establish a clear and coherent structure for the planning and evaluation of our off-site visits, and to ensure that any risks are managed and kept to a minimum, for the safety and health of all pupils at all times. Within these limits, we seek to make our visits available to all pupils, and wherever possible to make them accessible to those with disabilities. The visits usually take place within the school day.
2 Aims and objectives
2.1 The aims of our off-site visits are to:
· enhance curricular and recreational opportunities for our pupils;
· provide a wider range of experiences for our pupils than could be provided on the school site alone;
· promote the independence of our children as learners, and enable them to grow and develop in new learning environments.

These visits begin with short excursions into the local area in the Early Years, and progress to a residential experience towards the end of Key Stage 2.
3 Curriculum links
3.1 For each subject in the curriculum, there is a corresponding programme of activities (which includes visits to the school by specialists). All these activities are in line with guidance published by the LA:
· English – theatre visits, visits by authors, poets and theatre groups;
· science – use of the school grounds, visits to botanical gardens;
· mathematics – use of shape and number trails in the local environment;
· history – castle visits, study of local housing patterns, local museums;
· geography – use of the locality for fieldwork, village trails;
· art and design – art gallery visits, use of the locality;
· PE – a range of sporting fixtures, extra-curricular activities, visits by specialist coaches;
· music – a variety of specialist music teaching, extra-curricular activities, local schools' orchestra, concerts for parents and carers to hear;
· design and technology – visits to local factories or design centres;
· ICT – its use in local shops/libraries/secondary schools, etc;
· RE – visits to local centres of worship, visits by local clergy.
· PSHE and citizenship – visit to the fire station or an old people's residential home, visits by local police officers and health workers.
4 Residential activities
4.1 Children in Year 5 and 6 have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit. This activity is in school time and linked to the National Curriculum, so we do not make any charge for the education or cost of travel. We do, however, make a charge for board and lodging, insurance and specialist instruction for certain activities. Parents or carers in receipt of state benefits are exempt from payment.
4.2 The residential visit enables children to take part in outdoor and adventure activities as part of their PE work. We undertake this visit only with the written agreement of the LA. We provide qualified instructors for all specialist activities that we undertake.
5 How visits may be authorised
5.1 The headteacher will appoint a party leader to be responsible for running the activity. This will normally be a teacher employed at the school.
5.2 The school's educational visits coordinator, who may be the headteacher, will be involved in the planning and management of off-site visits.
S/he will:
· ensure that risk assessments are completed;
· support the headteacher and governing body in their decisions on approval;
· assign competent staff to lead and help with trips;
· organise related staff training;
· verify that all accompanying adults, including private car drivers, have had satisfactory police checks, and that the letter from our coach company (see 6.5) assures us that their drivers, too, have had police checks;
· make sure that all necessary permissions and medical forms are obtained;
· keep records of visits, and ensure that there are regular generic assessments of the risks (e.g. road-crossing) where there are frequent visits to local venues (e.g. a swimming facility).

Staff arranging or otherwise involved in off-site activities must familiarise themselves with the regulations, advice and procedures published by the LA (and available from the school office). All off-site activities must take place in accordance with the LA's instructions.
5.3 Where staff are proposing to arrange an off-site activity, they must seek and obtain the approval of the headteacher before any commitment is made on behalf of the school. A comprehensive visit plan should be provided by the member of staff to allow for an informed decision to be made.
5.4 Where the activity involves a period of more than 24 hours, an overnight stay, or a journey by sea or air, the headteacher will seek the approval of the governing body and the LA before permitting the activity to take place.
5.5 It is our policy that all children should be able to participate in educational visits. Where a child with a disability is eligible for a trip, we will make every effort to ensure that s/he is included. We may seek guidance from parents or carers to help us to adapt our programme, and we will make any reasonable adjustments to our itinerary to include a child with disabilities. Any such adjustments will be included in the risk assessment.
6 Risk assessment
6.1 A comprehensive risk assessment is carried out by the group leader before the proposed visit. It will assess the risks which might be encountered on the visit, and will indicate measures to prevent or reduce them. The risk assessment should be based on the following considerations:
· What are the hazards?
· Who might be affected by them?
· What safety measures are needed to reduce risks to an acceptable level?
· Can the group leader put the safety measures in place?
· What steps will be taken in an emergency?
6.2 Staff planning an off-site activity should make a preliminary visit to the venue, in order to carry out an on-site risk assessment. It is important to take into account the probable weather conditions at the time of year proposed for the trip, and the party leader should take careful account of the facilities available, with due regard to the proposed size of the group. S/he should also assess the site's suitability with regard to the age and any particular needs of the children. S/he will also consider the venue's own approach to security and to health and safety. Venues providing instructor-led activities will have their own risk assessments for particular sessions, and these assessments may be adopted if it is impractical for the group leader to experience the activity beforehand, or if s/he lacks the skills required to make informed judgements about the risks it may involve. The LA will not have given its approval for the visit unless it is satisfied with the venue, its instructors and their risk assessment procedures.
6.3 It is important to assess and record any health, safety or security issues that are identified during the preliminary visit. Any such issues will be taken into account when the final decision is taken on whether the visit should proceed, and the Visit Plan must state both the extent of any risks involved, and the measures that will be taken to reduce or eliminate them. The cost of these preliminary visits will be borne by the school, and should be built into the overall financial arrangements for the visit itself.
6.4 An activity should normally have sufficient adults taking part to provide the following minimum ratios:
· 1 adult to between 10 and 15 pupils in Years 4 to 6;
· 1 adult to 6 pupils in Years 1 to 3;
· 1 adult to 3 pupils in Early Years.

Any trip will require a minimum of two adults. However, these are minimum requirements, and may not provide adequate supervision in all cases.
6.5 A risk assessment must also cover transport to and from the venue. The coach company we use on a regular basis has provided us with a letter detailing all the health and safety measures it routinely takes, including:
· the provision and required use of seat belts;
· proper vetting of the driver by the police;
· proper insurance for the driver;
· details of first aid and emergency equipment;
· breakdown procedures.

6.6 The group leader will double-check that all adults helping to supervise the trip have been subject to police checks (see 5.2 above).
6.7 A copy of the completed risk assessment will be given to the headteacher, the governing body, the LA, our educational visits coordinator, and all adults supervising the trip.
7 Transport
7.1 The costing of off-site activities should include any of the following that apply:
· transport;
· entrance fees;
· insurance;
· provision of any special resources or equipment;
· costs related to adult helpers;
· any refreshments that the school has opted to pay for.
7.2 Transport arrangements will allow a seat for each member of the party. It is our policy only to use coaches fitted with seat or lap belts, and to insist that all those participating in the visit wear them.
7.3 Where private cars are used for transport, the group leader is responsible for checking that the insurance of each driver covers such journeys, and double-checking that each driver has been subject to the normal police checks (see 5.2).
8 Communication with parents and carers
8.1 The parents/carers of children taking part in an off-site activity should be provided with all appropriate information about the intended visit. Parents or carers must give their permission in writing before a child can be involved in any off-site activities.
8.2 Funding for off-site activities is provided mainly by parental contributions (voluntary, except in the case of residential visits), with a limited subsidy from the parent–teacher association. This must be made clear to parents and carers in all correspondence about an educational visit at the planning stage.
8.3 No child may be excluded from an activity because of the unwillingness or inability of the parent to make a contribution. Parents and carers will be informed of this principle through the school prospectus and letters sent home about intended visits.
8.4 The timetable for the payment of contributions should allow for the headteacher to make a decision about the financial viability of the activity in reasonable time.
9 Further health and safety considerations
9.1 All adults accompanying a party must be made aware, by the party leader, of the emergency procedures which will apply. Each adult should be provided with an emergency telephone number. This will normally be the school number, but where an activity extends beyond the normal school day, the home telephone number of a designated emergency contact should be provided.
9.2 Before a party leaves school, the school office should be provided with a list of everyone, children and adults, travelling with the party, together with a programme and timetable for the activity.
9.3 The safety of the party, and especially the children, is of paramount importance. During the activity, the party leader must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that safety. This involves taking note of any information provided by medical questionnaire returns, and ensuring that children are both safe and well looked after at all times.
9.4 Prior to an activity, if it is felt that the behaviour of an individual child is likely to compromise the safety of others or the good name of the school, the party leader should discuss with the headteacher the possibility of excluding that child from the activity.
9.5 More detailed guidance on procedures and requirements can be obtained from the LA's Off-Site & Hazardous Activities File held in the school office.
10 Group leaders' planning
10.1 Group leaders must read thoroughly the appropriate guidance for off-site activities:
· ‘Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits: A Good Practice Guide’ (DfES 1998) and its supplements:
‘A Handbook for Group Leaders’ (DfES 2002)
‘Group Safety at Water Margins’ (DfES 2002)
They must consult the LA's documentation detailing procedures and requirements, including guidance on Emergency Planning and Crisis Line organisation, and must draw up a Visit Plan which records in writing (including standard forms, where appropriate) the arrangements that have been made.
11 Visit Plan
11.1 The Visit Plan for intended educational visits must include the following:
· risk assessment;
· report on preliminary visit;
· applications for approval of visit;
· general information;
· names, ages, contact details, permission forms, medical records and other relevant details of all those going on the visit;
· travel schedule;
· accommodation plan (if applicable);
· full plan of activities;
· fire precautions and evacuation procedures;
· intended arrangements for supervision;
· insurance arrangements for all members of the group;
· emergency contacts and procedures;
· general communications information;
· guidance for party leaders;
· guidance for the emergency contact and headteacher;
· medical questionnaire returns;
· first-aid boxes.
12 Monitoring and review
12.1 This policy is monitored by the governing body and will be reviewed every two years, or before if necessary.


Signed:



Date:

Code Of Conduct For School Visits

Pontyclun primary School

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR STUDENTS ON SCHOOL VISITS


Applicable to All School Visits

1. Students must remember that they represent the school whenever they are in public,
especially when they are in school uniform. We count on them to be pleasant, quiet,
courteous and considerate of other people at all times. Students must bear in mind that
their behaviour will reflect upon the school’s public image.

2. At no time will students be allowed to leave the group on their own.

3. If they are given free time, they must always return to the meeting place promptly and
register with the leader. They must never be late.

4. Students must always be aware of traffic and take particular care when crossing the road, especially when in a group.

5. Students must never drop or leave litter. They should keep it until they find a bin.

6. Students must be aware that vandalism or shoplifting would have very serious
consequences for themselves, their parents and the school.

7. On a visit abroad students must not bring tobacco products or alcohol or banned items
through the customs. They must not bring anything through the customs for somebody
else.

8. Students must always remain seated on coaches and mini-buses whilst travelling and must not move from their seats until told to do so by a member of staff and must wear their seatbelts at all times. Pupils must adhere to coach company policy.
[2]
9. Students are responsible for their own property on all visits and journeys and must ensure that their property is marked in an appropriate manner with their name/postcode.

10. Students must respond to staff instructions appropriately at all times and adhere to the
regulations set up for specific trips.

11. Valuables will not be the responsibility of the school. If mobile phones are brought they will only by used to ring home with staff’s approval. Mp3 players and ipods etc are not generally permitted on trips. Where permission has been provided they may be used in free time as directed by staff.

12. We reserve the right to withdraw your child from a school trip if he/she is involved in any serious breach of discipline at any time prior to the departure of the trip, has caused a serious breach of discipline on a previous trip, or has developed a
serious health concern.

13. If a serious breach of discipline occurs whilst on a residential the school reserves the right to expect a parent/carer to collect the child from the residential center. Please note refunds will not be provided in the event a parent/carer is required to collect their child.



[1] Pontyclun Primary

[2] Pontyclun Primary School.

Infant building.

Dear Parents,

Unfortunately due to the poor weather throughout August, the roof of the Infant building has not been finished. As a result, building work will continue for possibly the next 3 weeks.

This will result in certain access restrictions for the different infant classes, which will impact on the dropping off and picking up of children.

The safety and welfare of the children and yourselves is paramount in the arrangements that we have taken, and these arrangements have been agreed by the buildings department and the health and safety department of the the local education authority.

Tomorrow morning, a number of staff will be stationed around the infant building guiding parents to the appropriate drop of points/ class accesses. These will also be the points for collection at the end of the school day.

I apologise for the inconvenience that the unfinished building work may cause, but we are working very hard to ensure the works are completed as quickly and safely as possible.

A short parents information evening will be held in the main school hall on Tuesday 7th September at 5 pm, for any parents who may have issues or concerns regarding the building work.

Yours faithfully

H Roberts
Head Teacher

End of term at Pontyclun - Have a great holiday

The end of the school year was very sad as we said farewell and good luck to three special members of staff. After many years of dedication and hard work Mrs. Thomas in the Nursery and Mrs. Coles in the Juniors have decided to retire and have a well earned rest. Over the years, their contribution to the school has been enormous and they will be hugely missed come September.
Mrs. Utting has been teaching in reception this year and moves to a new role at Maesybryn school. Both the staff and children have loved having Mrs. Utting at Pontyclun, and wish her the very best in her new job.



A huge thank you to all the parents who dug deep to support the school via the CCFC penalty shoot out. The event raised £1600 for school funds and all of the children had a lot of fun. Pictured, are the top 12 fund raisers. Our top fundraiser actually received a shirt that has been signed by the entire first team squad. Well done and thank you to all the pupils and parents who worked so hard to raise funds for the school. We really appreciate it.


Every year our fantastic PTA organise a prom night for the year 6 children who are about to move onto comprehensive school. The children really enjoy it, and have asked me to say a huge thank you to the PTA, they had a ball!!



Ponyclun's Got Talent was a fantastic way to end the year. Once again, we were amazed by the huge amount of different talents and skills the children in our school have. Well done to all who took part, you were fantastic. A special mention has to be made to our three finalists, two in year 6 and one in the infants, you could hear a pin drop as the whole school watched your performances. Well done you were fantastic.

Infant Summer Concert 2010

What a treat parents and staff had this week, as the infants put on an amazing summer show. To view images of the show click below. Well done to all the children who took part you were fantastic.

Newsletter

14 July 2010


Dear Parent

Thank you
A very big thank you to the many people who have supported the school, through this academic year. Without your help and assistance, many of the activities and opportunities given to your children would not have been possible and it is through your generosity and free time that pupils’ learning experiences have been enhanced greatly.

The last day!
Friday will be a free non-uniform day for all pupils. Pupils in Year 6 may bring in a school sweatshirt or polo shirt to be signed by their classmates and staff. Please ensure they have a suitable pen for their shirts to be signed.

Lost Property
Please do encourage your child to check the lost property for lost items before they are disposed of at the end of term.

Training Days
The school will be holding training days on Thursday 2nd September and Friday 3rd September and school opens for all pupils on Monday 6th September.

Mini Squash
Well done to all those who took part in the Mini Squash recently. All children were a credit to themselves and to the school. A special congratulations must go to Years 5 & 6 for their success in the Upper Juniors team award as well as Jack Elvis Year 5 and Daniel Christopher Year 6 for their success in the individual events. A big thank you to Mike Workman and Squash Wales for their support, not only in this tournament, but throughout the year.

I wish you all a very enjoyable and restful summer holiday and look forward to seeing you all again in the Autumn term.

Yours sincerely



H Roberts
Headteacher

Welsh Dancing

Dear Parents

Welsh dancing club will be cancelled tomorrow due to other commitments.

The final session will take place next Thursday, in order to prepare for the fete.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts

Photographer and Showstoppers

Dear Parents

Photographs
Mr Newman, the photographer is coming to school tomorrow morning. He will start taking photographs of our pupils from 9.00 a.m. onwards.

He will here at the end of the school day if you wish him to take photographs of your child and older/younger siblings. He will be in the main hall.

Showstoppers
Please note that there will be no more Showstoppers Club for the rest of this term. It will resume again in September.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

GYM CLUB

Dear Parents,
after an extremely successful and enjoyable year Miss. Davies' (yr2), Gym Club has now finished for this academic year. It will commence once again in the Autumn Term. Thank you for your support as ever.

Music lessons Wednesday 16 June 2010

Dear Parents

Miss Duckwork, Brass Music Teacher will not be in school next Wednesday, 16 June 2010. However she will be here as normal the week after.

H Roberts
Headteacher

Infant And Junior Sports Day's

A collection of great sporting moments from the Infant and Junior Sports Days. As always, the events centered on enjoyment and taking part, and this was clearly evident with all of the children showing great sporting spirit. Congratulations must go to all clun house members, who for the second year running won the Junior house cup. Click on the images above to see the entire collection.

Llangronnog weekend and Showstoppers

Dear Parents

Llangrannog
The timetable for the Llangrannog weekend is as follows – the children will leave School tomorrow at 11 a.m. where it is hoped they will have a very good weekend!

They will leave Llangrannog on Sunday after lunchtime at 2 p.m. The estimated time of arrival back at school is around 4.15 to 4.30 p.m.

Showstoppers
Please note that there will be no Showstoppers for the next two Fridays. It will resume as normal after the holiday.

H Roberts

Year 2 Games Club

Dear Parents

Please would you note that there will be no Games Club for Year 2 pupils for the next two weeks, due to staff training.

Year 2 Games Club will resume as normal after the half-term holiday.

H Roberts

Summer Ball 2010 - A Message From The PTA

GRAND SUMMER BALL
This was such a successful event the first time we did this in 2008 that we have all agreed to put on this event again at the Vale Resort.
Friday 18th of June is the date that has been set so please put this in your diary and come and have a fantastic evening with a 3 course dinner, dancing, a raffle and an amazing auction with some high profile items and lots up for grabs.

Tickets will be £35 per person and we have secured a deal for accommodation at £65 per room including breakfast. To book telephone 01443 667806/7/8 and quote Pontyclun Primary PTA ball

If you have friends or family that do not have children in the school that's not a problem, everyone is welcome.
We would welcome raffle prize donations of any kind such as a photo session, days out, personalised celebration cakes, shopping vouchers etc. anything that any parent can donate will surely boost raffle sales and raise funds for your childs school.

School Summer Fete
Saturday 3rd July at the school. Lots of fun things for the children to enjoy.

Year 6 end of School Party
Friday 9th July

Get in touch with us at pontyclunpta@hotmail.co.uk

26/4/10

Dear parents,
Please find below a list of dates for the term. We will make every possible effort to ensure these dates remain fixed but, please be aware, changes may need to be made due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of changes we will inform you at the earliest opportunity.
Further dates may be added as the term progresses.

Date
Event
27/4
Year 4 visit to Llancaiach Fawr
28/4
Urdd football festival years 5 and 6
6/5
Year 5 visit to big pit
Year Reception visit to Bryngarw House
8/5
Year 5/6 Urdd all Wales rugby final
WC 10/5
NFER testing week years 1-6
13/5
Year 6 history day (Transition event)
14/5
RCT music ensemble for Juniors
J7 Gower nature visit
20/5
J8 Gower nature visit
Year 1 audio tests
21-23/5
Year 5 visit to Llangrannog
Year 6 entrepreneurial day (Transition event)
25/5
Infants sports activity afternoon
Blues tag festival
26/5
Junior sports day
27/5
PC Daniels working with yr5
28/5
Junior drama group ‘Where are you Johnny James?’
31/5
Start of half term holiday week
8/6
Years 3 and 5 ‘Bollywood’ workshops
10/6
Year 6 Y Pant Head of year 7 talk to year 6 pupils
Year 4 and 6 ‘Indian Drumming workshops
Year 3 visit to Cilfynydd water centre
11/6
Junior Oakwood trip
14/6
Yr 3 vision tests
15/6
Year 6 CATS testing, (11/6 and 21/6 are alternative dates for those who might miss the 15th. Please contact the office for details should you require the alternative dates.)
New Nursery parents evening
16/6
Nursery visit to Noah’s Ark
Year 6 visit to a mosque
17/6
Year 1 and 2 visit to Noah’s Ark
18/6
PTA summer ball in the Cardiff Vale Hotel
22/6
PC Daniels working with Yr 1
23/6
School photographer
24/6
Infants house point winners trip
PC Daniels working with yr’s 4 and 3
25/6
Junior house point winners trip
26/5
Welsh Junior mini squash tournament
29/6
Yr 6 day visit to Y Pant
New classes day for all pupils
Year 2 parents meet the year 3 teachers (3.30pm)
30/6
School reports out for parents
2/7
Vice Captians and School Council elections
6/7
Parents reports surgery
7/7
Local schools Junior swimming gala.
Year 6 concert
8/7
Year 6 concert
10/7
School Fete
12/7
Yr 6 leavers assembly 6pm start
13/6
Yr 5/6 football tournament Llanhari Primary
Year 6 Prom
16/7
School closes 3.30pm for Summer Holidays.

Transition activities have been designed to assist Year 6 with the move from Primary to Secondary School.

Football Club

Dear Parents

Just to let you know that there is no football club today but it will resume again as normal next week.

I apologise for any inconvenience.

Mr A Llewellyn
Class Teacher

INSET DAY

13.04.10

Dear Parents

INSET DAY
I would like to remind you that there will be no school for pupils on Friday as it is an INSET day.

SPORTS RELIEF
You will also be pleased to know that we collected the amount of £338.30 for Sports Relief.

Yours sincerely


H RobertsHeadteacher

Egg Rolling

Dear Parent

Just a reminder that it is a non-uniform day tomorrow, no money is required but please remind your child (Year 2 to Year 6) to bring in their hard boiled egg, decorated if they wish(!!!!!!)

Children in Nursery to Year 2 will also be taking part in the Easter Bonnett parade.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

Skiing trip arrival

Dear Parents

I have spoken with Mr Llewellyn and he has given me the time of 2.45 p.m. as the estimated time of arrival back at school.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts

Headteacher

Skiing trip

Dear Parents

Mr Llewellyn has just rung school to inform us that they are safely back on British soil after having had a good crossing. Their estimated time of arrival back at school is between 2 and 3 this afternoon.

However, Mr Llewellyn has said that he will let us know when they are at the Severn Bridge crossing, where we should be able to give you a better estimation of their arrival.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

Rugby Club and Music Lessons

Dear Parents

Just to let you know there will be no rugby club tomorrow, and there will also be no netball club on Tuesday lunchtime.

After the Easter holidays, the Brass Music teacher will be coming to school on Wednesdays and not on Fridays. Please can you make sure your child brings their instrument into school on this day.

Thank you

H Roberts

Skiers Have Arrived Safely

Dear parents, just to let you know that we have all arrived here safely. The children have enjoyed their first night of entertainment, the Tirolean Dancing. All the pupils are well fed, happy and looking forward to a full day of skiing tomorrow and swimming afterwards. I will do my very best to update the sports blog tomorrow night with some photographs of the children on the slopes.

Year 3 visit to Castell Henllys

Dear Parents

Just to let you know that Miss Harwood has rung to inform us that they are due to arrive back at school between 4.45 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. this afternoon.

Yours sincerely


H Roberts
Headteacher

Kingswood

Dear Parents

Just to let you know that the expected arrival time back to school from Kingswood is estimated to be between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. this afternoon.

H Roberts
Headteacher

Kingswood

Dear Parents,

Year 6 have arrived safe and well in Kingswood, and have already taken part in a range of exciting activities. Mrs. Davies is taking lots of photographs and I am sure that they will be posted on the Year 6 blog very soon after she arrives back. I will keep you updated on estimated arrival times on Friday from early afternoon on.

Wishing you a restful couple of days.

Mr. Llewellyn

Year 2 Games Club

08.03.10

Dear Parents

I would like to inform you that there will be no Year 2 Games Club taking place tomorow. This has had to be cancelled due to a staff meeting.

Year 2 Games club will resume as normal next week.

Yours sincerely

H Roberts
Headteacher

What a start to 2010

2010 has been a fantastic year so far for music , drama and the arts. We were treated to a fantastic pantomime in February by the entire Junior department. Early March always brings about our St. David's Day festivities. Every child in the school took part in one, or more, of our Eisteddfod competitions: written poetry, writing, handwriting, art, singing, performance poetry (Welsh and English) and an instrumental competition. Staff have once again been amazed by the amount of talent on show. Certificates were given to all competition winners and runners up, congratulations to certificate holders, and a huge well done to every child in the school for taking part.

Saint David's Day 2010

New Year Panto 2010

Show Stoppers

Dear Parent

I would like to remind you that there will be no Show Stoppers this Friday, 12th February.

It will resume as normal after half term holiday.

Mrs C Davies - Teacher

Dear parents,

This year’s year 5 residential trip to Llangrannog will be held over the weekend of 21st- 23rd May 2010. This annual trip is always thoroughly enjoyed by all the pupils who spend the weekend engaged in a variety of outdoor experiences. Full details of all the activities as well as the centre details can be found at www.urdd.org/llangrannog

The cost of the trip including the transport is £93.00.

If you would like your child to go to Llangrannog could you please return the slip below by Friday February 5th so we are able to work out the precise numbers.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I do/ do not wish for my child _______________________________ class ________

to attend the residential trip to Llangrannog on the weekend 21st – 23rd May 2010.

Signed (parent/ guardian) _______________________________________

27/1/10

Dear parents,

Haiti appeal
Many thanks for your generosity with the Haiti appeal. We raised an amazing £531.33. Also, very well done to year 6 for all their efforts in organising and running the stalls. You can see how the children raised the money by clicking the following link http://pontyclunpri6.blogspot.com/

Sparklebox.
Just to inform parents that we have been informed that an educational company operating under the name of Sparklebox has been banned from council computers. This is an internet site with a range of educational resources that many establishments used. Unfortunately the person who set up and ran the site has been convicted for a second time of possessing and distributing illegal images of children. As a result we in line with all RCT schools will not be accessing this website.

Pantomime
Please ensure you get your tickets early, £2.00 each with a maximum of 3 per family in the first instance.

Kingswood parents evening
The parents information evening will take place on Tuesday February 2nd at 6.30p.m. in the main hall at Y Pant comprehensive.

Dinner money
Could parents with outstanding balances please ensure these are cleared. We need to ensure that there are no outstanding monies owed by the end of the financial year. Where balances are not cleared details have to be sent to the authority where they will be passed to a reclamation agency.

19/01/10
Dear parents,
Pantomime.
This year’s Junior pantomime will be ‘Aladdin’. However, the closures due to snow have meant that rehearsals for the Junior pantomime are a little way behind schedule. Therefore I need to change the dates for the performance. The pantomime will now take place on Tuesday 9th February and Thursday 11th February. The shows will start at 1.30pm. Tickets, priced at £2.00 each will go on sale from Friday (22/1/10). Tickets will be limited to 3 per family in the first instance with the remainder being made available on a first come first served basis from Wednesday 3rd February.

Parent’s evenings.
Unfortunately, due to the change of dates for the pantomime parents evenings will be moved to Tuesday 23rd February and Wednesday 24th February. A letter detailing appointments will come out closer to the date.

Haiti earthquake
Year 6 are planning a series of stalls and activities to raise money for the Haiti Earthquake fund. This will take place on Friday of this week and will involve years 2-5. It would be appreciated if children in these years could come to school with monies to enable them to participate in the activities.
There is also a Haiti earthquake concert being organised by St Pauls on Friday 27th January starting at 7.30pm. The entrance fee is £5.00 per person and includes refreshments. All proceeds to the Haiti earthquake fund.

Extra Curricular
After school clubs will be running as normal this week.

Kingswood.
The date for the year 6 outdoor pursuit transition trip is 17th March -19th March. As in previous years the cost of the centre and all activities will be met by the schools. Parents are asked however to contribute £20.00 to the cost of transport. Please fill in the reply slip below if you wish your child to attend this highly successful and enjoyable experience.
A meeting for all parents will be held shortly in Y Pant to outline the activities, discuss any issues or concerns that may arise as well as providing clothing lists, medical forms and dietary requirements. The evening will be hosted by a Kingswood representative and head teachers from the cluster comprehensives.
Monies will need to be in school by half term please.


I do/do not wish my child _______________________________ class ____________ to attend the Kingswood visit on the 17th – 19th March. I do/ do not enclose the £20 to cover the cost of transport.
Signed _______________________________________________ (parent/guardian)

Christmas Concert 2009

To view images of December's fantastic Christmas Carol Concert, please click on the photograph below.

Christmas Concert 2009

Dear Parents,

School is open as normal tomorrow, Friday January 15th.

Yours faithfully

Mr H Roberts.

Dear Parents,
In light of the heavy snow from yesterday and the freezing temperatures predicted for tonight,Wednesday January 13th, coupled with the poor condition of roads and paths in and around the school, a decision has been made to remain closed on Thursday January 14th on health and safety grounds. A decision for Friday will be posted tomorrow.

Yours faithfully

Mr Roberts.

Dear Parents,

School will be shut tomorrow, Wednesday 13th January, due to snow. Further information regarding Thursday will be posted tomorrow. Thank you for your understanding in these matters.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Roberts.

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your patience over the last week and sincere apologies for any difficulties that the closures may have caused.

Please be aware however, that the forecast for tomorrow is looking very poor for the afternoon. Should the weather predictions turn out to be accurate, it may mean that we will again be forced to close the school. Please keep an eye on the school blog for updated information.

I am sure that you appreciate that, in the event the school needs to close, the phone lines will be very busy as we have nearly 500 sets of parents to contact. Ringing for information on closure may be very difficult. If your contact details have changed please to send these details in to school tomorrow to ensure we are able to contact you directly.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Yours faithfully



H Roberts
Head Teacher.

After School Clubs

Dear Parents

There will be no after school clubs this week, due to the uncertainty of the weather conditions.

I thank you for your continuing co-operation.

H Roberts

Dear Parents,
The school will be open as normal for pupils on Monday 11th January. Please be aware that the condition of the roads and paths around, and in the school, are still hazardous, so please do take extra care when dropping off and picking up children.
For those parents who will be using the breakfast club, please do not drive into the school car park to drop your children off.
Thank you for your co-operation in this mater.
Please note that for safety reasons all after school clubs for Monday will be cancelled.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Roberts.

Dear Parents,
Having done a risk assessment of the school site and surrounding routes to school, the school will be closed on Friday January 8th, on health and safety grounds. Weather permitting we will endeavour to open on Monday January 11th. Information regarding this will be posted on Sunday 10th January. I am very sorry for the inconvenience the closure will undoubtedly cause.

Yours faithfully

Mr Roberts.

Dear Parents,

Due to the plummeting temperatures forecast tonight adding to the snow and ice already causing problems, the decision has been made to close the school on THURSDAY JANUARY 7 TH. I appreciate that this does cause child care problems for some of you, but, the decision was based on the health and safety of the children as well as the staff. The decision has been taken tonight to try and give parents as much notice as possible to arrange child care if needed. We are hoping that the school will re-open on Friday January 8th. Further details for Friday will be posted tomorrow (7/01/10).

Yours faithfully,

Mr Roberts.

Due to the adverse weather conditions, the school is closed today, Wednesday January 6th. Further information regarding Thursday will be provided later.

Mr Roberts.

School Closure

Dear Parents

It has been decided to close the school because of the weather conditions and the safety of staff travelling home.

Further information will be posted on our website early tomorrow morning but it is likely that school will be closed.

H Roberts